In a shocking turn of events, a man identified as Oromo Odiongo, 23, on Sunday shot himself dead in Oguruny village in Hiyala Payam, Torit County, in Eastern Equatoria State.
Risio Otida, the Boma Chief in Oguruny told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the incident occurred at 8:30 a.m. and the reason for the suicide remains unclear and that the deceased’s family was in shock.
“A man committed suicide on Sunday morning yet he had no known misunderstanding or fight with anyone in the village. We truly do not know the reason why he shot himself,” he explained. “We asked his mother and sister if he told them anything before killing himself but they said that the deceased did not say anything.”
“He committed suicide by shooting himself dead with a gun and his name is Oromo Odiongo and he was 23 years old,” Chief Otida added.”
For his part, Torit County Commissioner Jacob Atari Albano confirmed the incident and said local authorities are investigating the family of the deceased over the matter. He however attributed the suicide to alcohol abuse and said plans are afoot to sensitize local communities on the dangers of drinking and handling illegal guns.
“Somebody committed suicide in Oguruny by shooting himself dead and I do not know the reason why a young person would kill himself. We are still following it up and we need to get details from the relatives who have to tell us exactly what drove him to kill himself,” he said. “We need to arrange for a dialogue so that we will be able to sensitize the people on the ground about the danger of the guns. Alcohol consumption is one of the causes of all these issues.”
“Also, most of these people who commit crimes are often under the influence of alcohol,” Commissioner Atari added.
Meanwhile, Santina Ikoki, the Deputy Medical Director at Torit State Hospital, said most youths in Eastern Equatoria State commit suicide because of alcohol and drug abuse.
“When youth have many problems and then engage in excessive alcohol consumption or drug abuse, one will automatically decide that he or she is better off taking their life. Alcohol and drug abuse will lead to suicide,” she counseled. “It is not forbidden for one to drink alcohol but we should always ask drinkers nicely to drink responsibly.”
“If someone tells you that life is useless, you need to take care because they may intend to commit suicide,” Dr. Ikoki warned.
A civil society activist in Eastern Equatoria State who doubles as the Executive Director of VINA Organization, Vitale Abure, condemned the practice of people killing themselves and conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased.
He advised people who are facing problems and or experiencing depression to share and report their issues to family, health professionals, or concerned authorities to have them addressed, saying that suicide is not a solution.
“We are telling our people at the grassroots in Torit County that committing suicide is not a solution to settling disputes. If you have a problem, report to the concerned authorities or someone you think can advise you or solve your problem,” he said. “As civil society, we do not cordon suicide and are not happy about this incident because we have lost a dear one. We condemn acts of killing and committing suicide and we need peaceful processes to find solutions to problems.”